Broken Futures
by Phantasmal Abduction
Summary: Set a year or so after the events of Kingdom Hearts. Pairings are mostly yaoi but all in all, this is dark and somewhat disturbing. so, go on, you know you wanna read it...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Returning Nightmares.**

_Nothing's like before. The words reverberated in his mind. In the space of one sentence things had changed irrevocably. His best friend might now be gone forever._

xxx

The street lamps created soft isolated pools of light in the drifting fog that blanketed Traverse Town. The voices of the few people who braved the cloying mist were muffled whispers to the ears of those warm in their houses. Yuffie giggled at the sound of some unfortunate, bumping into the wall of her house.

'Hey Cloud,' she sniggered. 'What's the bet that Leon just walked into our wall? I'll take ten munny that he did, he always had a shit sense of direction.'

'No bet,' grinned Cloud. 'Here's the poor lost lamb himself. And what's this? He's sporting a lovely looking lump on his head.' At that Yuffie collapsed with laughter.

'Good look there Leon, are you starting a new fashion? Or are you playing unicorns again?'

With his customary scowl Leon glared at the hysterical ninja. 'For your information you little brat, I was in the process of killing three heartless at the time. So cut me a break why don't you. I don't see you on patrol at night ever, maybe our own Braveheart is scared of the dark…'

Yuffie's eyes widened and her laughter stopped abruptly. 'Leon, you absolute bastard! You promised you'd never tell!'

And with a shriek of rage she launched herself in a flying tackle at the startled fighter. She hit him in the knees and they went down in a tangle of limbs, Yuffie flailing wildly as Leon struggled to protect his head.

They both suddenly stopped as they noticed Cloud was not joining in the fun, or even laughing at their antics. Leon suddenly realized that Cloud had not been aware of the return of the heartless. He easily picked Yuffie up and tossed her gently onto the sofa before striding over to Cloud and sitting down next to him.

Cloud's blue eyes stared blankly at the wall and he seemed oblivious to Leon shaking his arm and trying to get his attention. It had been six months since the heartless had come and stolen away two of Cloud's friends, and the news of their return to the streets of Traverse Town seemed to have shocked him beyond reason.

One of those taken by the heartless was Sora, the keyblade master who saved the worlds from Ansem, and the other was the beautiful woman who was Cloud's love and life, Aeris. No one could understand why it was those two who were taken and Cloud had become obsessed with discovering the heartless' plan for the two captives. In the six months since, no one had even been able to discover where the heartless were coming from, let alone their motives and plans.

Leon's eyes narrowed as he stared at the unresponsive Cloud. They had become firm friends in the days after Sora defeated the shadows and it hurt him to see his friend in such a state. He pulled Cloud roughly to his feet and started to lead him to his bedroom. Yuffie quickly grabbed his other arm and together they shuffled slowly up the hallway.

xxx

The plaster of the wall crunched and a puff of dust flew into the air. Leon shook the loose powder off his black leather glove and glowered at the crumbling dent in his wall. He had thought that Cloud was finally beginning to regain reason after almost losing his mind trying to find Aeris, but the return of the heartless seemed to have thrown him into an almost catatonic state.

Thinking again of the glazed, hopeless look in Cloud's eyes, Leon let out a curse and slammed his fist into the wall even harder than before. The resulting bang prompted a peeved shout from the next room over, 'Leon, shut the hell up you psycho! Can't you control your fucken temper for five minutes?'

Swallowing another curse, Leon grabbed his sword, Lionheart and stormed out of his room. He needed a release for his building tension and the only way he knew to calm himself down was battle training. The small courtyard out the back of the house he now shared with Yuffie, Cloud and Riku, had been converted into an arena for training and it was Leon's sanctuary from the outside world.

Whirling his sword in a complicated series of figure eights, Leon lost himself in the spinning, glinting steel. The sword wove intricate patterns in the air and Leon slowly fell into a trance as he danced with his deadly weapon. The cares of his life gradually shed from his shoulders and the hours passed like seconds in the shining dance of the gunblade.

Leon was finally ripped from his dream when Yuffie burst into the courtyard, out of breath, and nearly in tears. 'Leon oh god, please come! It's Riku, he's not home and it's almost dawn. He hasn't called or anything. I need you to come and help me look for him.'

Sheathing his gunblade expertly, Leon quickly joined Yuffie as she ran towards the front door. He thought briefly of Cloud in his room, alone and just as quickly discarded the thought. His anger at Cloud had still not completely gone and in the back of his mind was the faint desire to get back at Cloud for being such a burden. He hated himself for his petty feelings, but he still ran out of the door half a step behind Yuffie in the search for Riku.

xxx

Riku lay on his back staring at the night sky. His pupils dilated hugely and to him the sky was filled with shattered star-shine. Like looking into a broken mirror. He didn't feel the chill of the fog on his bare arms, nor did he feel the jagged broken cobblestones of the alleyway pressing into his back, he could not feel anything the way he was.

After Sora had conquered the shadows and Riku had helped close the door to Kingdom Hearts from the inside, the two friends were apart for what seemed like forever. Sora had eventually found his way into the locked world of Kingdom Hearts, but not before the shadows had twisted Riku's sanity and affected his mind. Riku had begun to depend on Sora after the horror of being locked in the shadows, he had started to come back from his haunted existence in the darkness.

Then Sora was taken by the heartless. Riku's sanity began to spiral out of control and he had turned to the only thing that offered him any release from reality, the dark embrace of cocaine. The drugs gave Riku a world of clockwork dreams and unreality that took away the all-consuming pain of Sora's absence. His life was now lived as a slave to his insanity.

The stars began to dance in front of Riku's eyes and the moon smiled down on him from a sea of black silk. The fog caressed his hands and he smiled back at the friendly moon, with her halo of stars.

xxx

Yuffie frantically ran out of the house into the fog-shrouded street. She stared wildly round and turned to Leon, tears streaming down her cheeks.

'I haven't heard from Riku since yesterday morning. He always comes back at night. The darkness brings back memories for him. Something must be wrong. Shit, what are we going to do? What if he's hurt…'

Leon grabbed her shoulders and shook her once. 'Snap out of it.' he snarled. 'I'm worried about Riku too. We just have to go to all his haunts. I know where he's most likely to be, so just shut the fuck up and follow me. We're going to get Kairi and then we will find Riku.'

Staring at Leon with wide shocked eyes, Yuffie stopped crying. She lowered her gaze and stared at the ground, hurt by Leon's harsh words. She turned abruptly and started following the wall of the house in the direction of Kairi's house. Leon mentally kicked himself for being so cruel, but he had no idea what to say or do to mend the growing rift between himself and the ninja girl.

The fog grew thicker, and dense clouds obscured the bright full moon.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Scouring Shadows.**

It was five thirty in the morning before Leon and Yuffie stumbled into the shelter of Kairi's doorway. Leon had to bang hard on the door several times before Kairi appeared at the window looking half asleep and severely pissed off. 'What the fuck do you want,' she growled through the half open curtains. 'I thought you were a bloody burglar or something. I nearly…'

'Shut up and listen,' Leon impatiently interrupted. 'We need you to help us, Riku's missing and you know him the best out of all of us. Get dressed and get your ass out here now.'

Placing her hands on her hips, Kairi glared at Leon. 'I just want it to be clear asshole, that I am doing this for Riku. And if you value whatever miniscule friendship we have, you will stop being such a bastard. Ok? Right, wait here.'

Five minutes later Kairi appeared at the door, dressed in a short woolen skirt and jacket with pink fluffy boots. She flipped her long auburn hair in Leon's face and stuck out her tongue when Yuffie had to restrain him from lunging at her. 'Control your temper you prick,' she said primly as she stepped into the street. 'You are so aggressive.'

Leon ground his teeth but kept silent. He knew that he was being a bastard, but he was worried about Cloud and he was worried about Riku. The girls were getting on his nerves and he couldn't deal with the stress. All he wanted to do was find the silver haired moron before he injured himself and get out of the fucken fog that was also driving him crazy. He thrust his hands in his pockets and stomped after the two girls as they hurried through the dim streets.

xxx

'Riku?'

'Riku please answer…'

'Goddamit Riku where the hell are you?'

The three friends wound their way through Traverse Town's tangled streets and warped alleys. They searched every inch of the First and Second Precincts and all they saw of Riku was one of his gloves, soaked in dew and lying sodden in the gutter. Yuffie sank to ground at the sight of the forlorn glove, but Kairi and Leon quickly yanked her too her feet. If Riku was in the Third Precinct they had to find him as soon as possible. The Third Precinct was where the heartless had first begun to appear, and now the streets were teaming with them.

xxx

Riku lay unconscious on his back. His eyes were half open and the bright green-blue orbs stared at the cloud-covered moon. The heartless from the nearby area began to focus in on his slowly beating heart and they slowly, ever so slowly, surrounded his still form.

Leon saw him first. He took in the scene at a glance and his own heart leapt into his throat. Without a second thought, he rushed at the countless monsters and unsheathed his gunblade in a single, expert sweep.

Before the heartless could even register his presence Leon had dispatched of the eight immediately surrounding Riku's body and he was keeping the rest of the slavering fiends at bay with huge wild swings of his sword. Panting with the strain of fending off multiple attackers, Leon yelled at the two girls, 'Do something goddamit! I don't care what just bloody do something!'

Kairi froze at the awful scene before her, but Yuffie took immediate action. Recalling a spell that she had seen Sora perform once before, she held her hands above her head praying for this desperate ploy to work. Summoning all of her magic she looked skyward and yelled 'Hellfire!'

For a second nothing happened, and the ninja had almost given up on her spell when a stream of fire burst from the clouds and enveloped the whole alleyway. Heartless erupted in flames as the magic fire touched them, but Yuffie, Leon and the trembling Kairi remained unharmed.

As the supernatural fire dissipated into the once again chilly air, Leon knelt beside Riku and lifted him easily into his arms. He set off towards his house without a word and Yuffie and Kairi followed silently behind. They all knew that Riku had a problem with drugs, but it had never been talked about. Seeing their friend like this was a horrible shock because they didn't know that things had gotten this bad, they hadn't been able to see through the mask of normality that Riku presented to the world.

xxx

Cloud sat on his bed, eyes closed and his mind in turmoil. Why had no one told him the heartless were back? How could he not have known? Tears began to fall down his cheeks as he though of his Aeris, his light, trapped in the shadow world of the heartless.

The thoughts flowing through his mind tormented Cloud. He ran his hands through his silky blond spikes and clutched his head trying to block out the voices that whispered to him in his loneliness.

It's you Cloud…It's all thanks to you…How could you betray your light…You gave her to the darkness…You weren't there…She is gone…

A horse moan forced itself between Cloud's lips and he curled up next to the wall, giving in to wracking sobs. The pain of Aeris' absence had not lessened with time, it had only intensified. He felt as though the color was gradually draining out of his world along with all feeling. Numbing cold invaded his body and he was so tormented with phantoms of the past that he didn't even notice when Leon kicked open the front door and carried Riku to the couch. His agony blinded him and made him deaf to the world.

xxx

A/N: Kairi lives alone because before the heartless returned, she flatted with Sora. Just a tiny little bit of background 

With the Hellfire spell, I just had to make up something impressive for Yuffie to yell. And I couldn't remember if Sora even said anything when he cast a fire spell. All you purists out there, please don't kill me -cowers in fear of purists-

Also, with all the swearing, I really have no excuse. They're just all kind of going through really hard times and their emotions are going all over the place. I've observed –puts on glasses and looks superior- that swearing is a great release for pent up anger and pain. Therein lies my pitiful excuse for their shit language.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Memories of Loss.**

Riku's skin was a pallid white and his half open eyes were glazed, his breathing was labored and his heartbeat was erratic. He looked almost dead to his friends who stood around him at a loss for what to do. Kairi had placed a damp towel on his forehead and Yuffie had covered him with a blanket, but they could think of nothing else they could do until he woke up.

A few hours later something happened that drove them all into a state of panic; Riku stopped breathing. Leon, sitting on the edge of the couch next to him noticed that Riku's chest had stopped moving and he frantically leapt up, ready to try anything to save his friend.

Propping a pillow under Riku's neck, Leon tilted his head back and opened his mouth. Pinching his nose shut and barely hesitating, the dark haired warrior clamped his lips on Riku's and with a deep exhalation, pumped air into his lungs. With each inhale and exhale, Leon tried to impart into the still form of Riku, some of his own life force. There was no way he was going to let the silver haired boy go without a fight.

'Breathe goddamit Riku, breathe.' He panted between breaths. 'Live for us, we're here and we will find Sora, so bloody well live.'

He was dimly aware of Kairi and Yuffie holding each other and sobbing, but they seemed detached from his world. All that filled his mind was the deathly form of Riku lying beneath him, and the stillness of his lungs. He breathed harder and pushed his clenched fists into Riku's chest. He just had to force the boy to breath. Fuck, he just couldn't lose another one of his friends.

_Rinoa…  
Her eyes were clouding over. This couldn't be happening. Not after all they had been through together. After all the hard times, happiness had been so short…  
He could remember tears, flowing like they would never stop. He never cried. His pain stayed inside. But never his pain for her. It hurt too much…  
Seifer…_  
_Standing over his dark haired angel. Watching cruelly as her life's blood flowed from her open throat. Laughing at her pain. But never at mine. I know he cared. So much that he would kill the one I loved. I remember his anguished laughing eyes…Oh god, not Riku too…_

Ages passed. Years, but it was only moments that passed by. A rasping breath broke the absolute silence of the fearful room, drawing gasps of relief from everyone's throats. Riku's eyes were still in that uncanny half open state, but he was once again breathing and his skin was turning from a dead white to a pale, pale pink.

xxx

Kairi let out a strangled sob and ran to Riku's side. Falling to her knees she gently took the boy's head in her hands. She started stroking his face and murmuring nonsense words of soothing and calm. She had tried to hide her feelings ever since Riku had returned from the darkness of Kingdom Hearts, but now her heart was exposed for everyone to see; though at this time no one noticed the heartsick love of a young girl.

_She remembered him back then, before the darkness had taken hold.  
Sparkling green eyes… The laughter as he talked to her, 'You're as lazy as he is.'  
He sounded so warm, 'Kairi thanks.' And all she had done was land on his island. He couldn't know the impression his lazy comments had on her.  
God, they could see into the depths of her soul; those jade, all knowing orbs. That was before. Before hell had been unleashed on the worlds…  
Since he had come back from the shadows, she could see the hell in his eyes. The shadows still hid there. She missed his carefree smile. He never smiled anymore.  
Now, after the heartless stole Sora away, nothing looked out of Riku's eyes anymore. To the young girl, who looked at him with such love, he seemed to have lost his soul. He was no longer Riku. Now he was merely a slave to the life consuming drugs; and to his self-pity and self-hatred…  
Oh god let him come back to me…_

Yuffie gently pulled Kairi upright and together they stood, watching as Leon lifted the comatose Riku and carried him to his small room at the back of the house. He laid Riku down on his messy bed and almost tenderly, tucked the blanket in around him. Straightening up again, he turned to the girls and murmured, 'I need to stay with Cloud. One of you has to stay with Riku. We can't take the chance that something might go wrong in the night.'

Almost too quickly Kairi felt the words force themselves out of her mouth. 'I'll stay here. I'll stay with him.' Recovering quickly, and catching the look that Yuffie shot her she stammered, 'I mean, I don't want to go home alone, and I might as well stay here; in here. You have no other spare rooms, right?'

Yuffie nodded slowly, but didn't take her eyes off Kairi as the younger girl blushed deep red. For once, keeping her thoughts to herself, the ninja nodded again and said softly, 'Sure Kairi. Stay here as long as you want.' Ignoring the pissed off look from Leon she continued, 'I'm too tired for sure, to stay up and watch the druggie. What's say we talk more later in the morning, say around midday?'

She surreptitiously elbowed Leon in the ribs, forcing him to stretch a fake grin across his face and back quickly out of the door. 'Goodnight Kairi. Call me if anything happens in the night ok?'

She nodded in response but kept her face turned away from her friends, lest they see her emotions written, naked in her eyes. 'Sure Leon. And I'm sorry I was so horrible earlier. I hope I can make it up to you in the morning.'

Still backing out the door, Leon smiled again. But this time with more genuine feeling. 'Sure Kairi. And I hope you can forgive me for being such an asshole. I'll see you in the morning alright?'

xxx

As soon as he and Yuffie were out of Riku's room and safely away from Kairi's earshot, Leon exploded. 'What the hell were you thinking Yuffie? She can't stay here!' he all but shouted. 'God, I'm stressed enough having to take care of you, Cloud and Riku. But with her too? Are you asking for me to go postal? In the morning we are telling her to go home.'

Yuffie simply shook her head. 'Leon, there is no way that you are bullying me on this one. My god, her best friend was stolen away and now her only other friend almost died! Are you really that heartless? For fuck's sake, I know you must have some emotions in there, I hear you crying in the night!'

At this, Leon turned and walked silently down the hall. Ignoring Yuffie's quiet sobs, he strode down to Cloud's room and paused in front of the door to collect himself. He didn't think that his nightmares had pierced the veil between sleeping and waking, but apparently his night terrors weren't as private as he had thought. In the brief second before he opened the door to Cloud, he had to quell a surge of anger unlike any he had ever felt before. Except when he stood in front of the remorseless Seifer, next to the dying Rinoa.

xxx

Cloud sat in a haze of pain and denial. His head was full of wild thoughts and insane voices.

Your fault…Weren't there…Probably dead now… 

_Oh god it should be you, you in the hands of darkness. Find her, kill them, how, when, where, where, where?  
Please someone, help me?_

Is this what it is like to be insane?

xxx

A/N: The background of Leon and Rinoa is that they got married. In my mind, the events of VIII happened years before the Kingdom Hearts game, as did VII. Of course some of VII has changed, hence Aeris is alive, but other things (hint for future) are the same.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four. Trials.**

Yuffie lay on her bed and closed her eyes. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and everything was beginning to snowball. Where would the harm from the shadows end? When would her friends be safe?

Sighing, Yuffie turned her mind to Leon. It was plain to her that something deep and almost buried was haunting the sullen warrior, but Leon was so hidden inside himself that she could not reach him at all. This hurt a lot, perhaps more than anything else; the fact that one of her friends was closing himself away from the world, and for no apparent reason.

In the black midnight during the last few weeks, Yuffie had heard moans and soft crying from next door, in Leon's room. Being insatiably curious as she was, the inquisitive ninja had taken to listening at the wall that adjoined hers and Leon's rooms. What she heard did not clear her puzzlement; instead it only confused her all the more.

No Seifer…Please, not Rinoa… 

Who was Seifer? And Rinoa?

Oh god, she's dying…Don't let her die Seifer, I love her so much…Do you really hate me so?

Was Rinoa his lover? His wife? He wore a ring on his marriage finger…

You know I can't love you…Please, if you love me…God, I do love you… 

The cries tore into Yuffie like knives. She hated hearing Leon in so much pain. Locked deep inside her soul was a growing love for the troubled fighter and denying it only made it stronger. She ached to go to him, and comfort him; fight away his nightmares, but she could tell if he knew of her eavesdropping, he would withdraw completely. And then she had gone and blurted it out, harshly and without thought. He now knew that she was aware of his anguish, how long would it be before he moved on, unable to cope with her intrusion?

She wracked her mind for any solutions, to even one of her many problems. The dawn held no answers. Leon was probably going to leave, now that he knew his private battles were no longer private. Riku was in bad shape and he might not even live. Sora and Aeris were lost from the world. Kairi was suffering in the silence of unreturned love. Cloud; Cloud was going to pieces and they looked to her to help him.

'Fuck.' She muttered. 'Leon's going to go postal? What about me? Hah, I'm expected to hold everything together and I'm almost the youngest one here. And, I am talking to myself. Great.'

Rolling onto her side Yuffie fought back tears and squeezed her eyes shut. Cloud was always the one who lead them. He was the one who brought clarity and decisiveness in a problem; now he was not there. His body walked and talked, but his soul was somewhere else, searching all the worlds for Aeris, his love. And she was not to be found. Yuffie knew that as long as Aeris was lost and flying with the shadows, Cloud would be just an empty shell. They would not have their golden haired leader back until Aeris was returned to him. Feeling the devastating loss that Cloud must be feeling, Yuffie lost her battle with tears and smothered her sobs in the softness of her pillow. Everything fell to her now, and she didn't know if she could cope.

xxx

Swirling shadows engulfed Cloud. He fought the grasping darkness and had almost pulled himself back into his mind when he felt a presence next to him in the void. Aeris. Cloud let go completely and fell headfirst into the shadow world. He could vaguely hear Leon calling his name fearfully, but the sensation of Aeris' closeness was too strong. Releasing his hold on the world of light, Cloud felt himself become enveloped in the shadows. He sighed and gave himself to the spirit of his love.

Suddenly his face felt wet. Wait, felt? He could not feel. The feeling of Aeris began to grow less and he grasped wildly for the traces of her spirit, before losing his anchor in the dark and beginning to float back into the world of light. The wetness on his cheeks became real and his eyes flew open. Leon was sitting over him, holding him tightly in his arms. The damp on Cloud's cheeks was the first tears that Leon had shed since Rinoa's death.

Leon shuddered with the force of his emotions. The sobs forced themselves out of his throat and they felt like they would never stop. Everything he had kept bottled up since Rinoa's death came out in the massive flood of rage and pain. What he had seen when he pushed open the door to Cloud's small room, shocked him to his core.

Cloud was laying on the bed the same as he was when Leon left him the day before, just one horrifying detail was different. Cloud was fading, literally. His body was growing fuzzy around the edges and his form was gradually darkening and taking on the look of an insubstantial shadow. Cloud was being lost to the darkness.

For only the second time in his life, Leon was at a complete loss as for what to do. His instincts as a fighter were no use and the sixth sense that had aided him through tough times, deserted him. He pulled Cloud into his arms and prayed to whatever gods could hear him, tears streaming unheeded down his face. it didn't matter to him that he was letting out years of pain and anger, all that mattered was the torture of being so close to losing another friend so soon after what happened to Riku.

When Cloud's eyes opened and he looked unfocusedly into Leon's face, Leon abandoned all pretence at control and sobbed into Cloud's silky yellow hair. He didn't know why Cloud had suddenly lost his ethereal feel but he raised his eyes to heaven and thanked whatever gods had answered his frantic prayers. In Cloud's return to the real world, Leon felt an inexplicable weight begin to slip from his burdened shoulders; a weight that had endured the long years without Rinoa.

xxx

Cloud blinked in the delicate glowing light of dawn. His time in the darkness was only a few hours in the real world, but in the shadows, time almost stood still. His eyes were accustomed to the shade and gloom of the shadow country, and even the barely there dawns blush was brighter than his eyes could handle this soon after the eternal dusk. he could not believe that the world had not aged by a millennia since he surrendered to the shadow.

As his heart slowly seeped back into his body, Cloud noticed that he was cradled tightly the strong arms of Leon. With a monumental effort, Cloud lifted his leaden arms and managed to entwine them loosely in Leon's. He squeezed Leon briefly before his strength gave out and his arms fell away. His head fell back and he found himself staring, dazed, into Leon's storm-gray, and now watery, eyes. With the very last of his will power he whispered into Leon's ear, 'Thank you.'

For that morning at least, the darkness faded from the streets of Traverse Town, banished by the momentary light of Leon and Cloud's combined souls.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five. News from Heaven or Hell.**

The day after Riku's dramatic reappearance was quiet and subdued. Yuffie stayed in her room for most of the day emerging only to grab some food, and none of the others even left their rooms. Kairi was fixated on Riku and nothing else, and Leon had his hands full trying to pull Cloud fully into the light.

Early, at about an hour after daybreak a loud series of bangs on the door shattered the silence of the little house. Despite the violence of the noise, only Yuffie heard the knocking, and she ran to the door before whoever it was took it upon themselves to break down the door and wake up all her exhausted friends.

When she opened the door, Yuffie was struck dumb. She didn't know who she expected to be at the door at dawn, but she would never have expected to see the river of shining silver hair and emerald eyes of an angel staring down at her. Sephiroth, the One Winged Angel, was standing on her doorstep looking out of breath and wild-eyed.

xxx

The worlds shifted in their alignment. Even an ally of the ascendant darkness was not immune to the evils of the Malevolence, as they liked to call themselves. Sephiroth had seen the horrors that his malicious 'friends' had perpetrated in their bid for conquest and he decided early into their reign that he wanted no part in the slaughter of innocent lives, and the stealing of hearts.

At great risk to his own life Sephiroth contacted the leaders of the resistance to the darkness, eventually becoming one of their most valued spies. In fact, even after the darkness was banished, Sephiroth stayed deep in the confidence of the enemy, reporting when he could.

_The balance was shifting again. The Fallen Soldier of Fortune was once again caught between both sides. And this time the news he had could ruin the insurgence of shadow, or it could destroy the resistance utterly._

In coming to Traverse Town and contacting those most likely to oppose the shadows, Sephiroth had committed himself irrevocably to the side of light. He was a marked man in the Darklands and he had to get his information to his real allies as soon as possible. Every extra second he took gave the heartless more time to find him and eliminate him before he even had a chance to warn anyone.

xxx

The look on Yuffie's face as she realized who was in fact standing in front of her, made Sephiroth remember that his change of spots was not commonly known. He quickly placed his battle-hardened hand over her mouth and pushed her into the shelter of the doorway. 'Yuffie, I am not what you think I am.' He whispered roughly. 'I left the darkness to work with the light. I am on your side.'

His hand was so tight over her mouth that Yuffie could barely get out a terrified nod. Seeing her distress, Sephiroth gradually moved his hand away from her mouth, until he was sure she wouldn't scream. 'Look, you have to believe me; I am not with the Shadows. I left at the beginning of it all, and I have worked for the light ever since. See, I'm not holding you, run, scream, whatever. I'm not trying to stop you. I'm just asking you, please listen to me. It could mean the life or death of worlds!'

At that almost frenzied outburst, Yuffie nodded again and stepped back inside, allowing the tall mage into the hallway. She led him to the lounge and gestured to the ratty old couch. 'I'm not going to leave you alone in my house.' She said bluntly, pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off a growing headache. 'Say what you have to say and then I'll decide if we kill you right here. I can't take the risk of any of my friends being hurt.'

Sephiroth eyed the barbed shurikens on Yuffie's belt and gave a wry smile. 'Yeah I understand. If you'd like to tie me up I won't resist, if it makes you feel better.'

Yuffie almost smiled and then caught herself and simply shook her head. 'That won't be necessary. Tell me what you came here to say. It must be important to risk travel between the worlds now that the heartless are back. I'm listening.'

xxx

'This starts in the coliseum.' Said Sephiroth. 'Hades persuaded me to fight for him, he promised me, things. It wasn't long before I realized that he told me nothing but lies. Around that time I also figured out how wrong the rule of shadows would be. In a past life I was a fallen angel, not anymore; I abandoned the lure of the darkness before it had even begun its rule and joined the light as a spy in the enemies ranks.

As the leaders of the light commanded me, so I traveled across the worlds, following the schemes of shadow and destruction. I was there when Sora crushed each dark lord or lady, I was there watching over his battles on every world. Even as Sora fought alone against his best friend, I watched over him for the light.

The shadow rulers had no idea that I was playing them false and they brought me into their plans for overrunning all the related worlds. Gradually I earned their trust and they pulled me deeper and deeper into the plots. This was getting near the end though, because after a time they sent me to guard Ansem, pawn of shadows and puppet to darkness.

That was the one task they set me that I had to fail at all costs. Crucial to the counteractions of the light was Sora defeating Ansem and closing the door to Kingdom Hearts and the shadows. I manipulated events so that when Sora and Ansem came face to face I was 'fighting' servants of the light. Actually I was reporting to my superior about Sora when I heard that he had freed the light and trapped the darkness.'

Sephiroth paused in his narrative and saw that Yuffie was spellbound with his tale of danger and intrigue. Turning his head slightly he saw the light of morning shining through the window and realized that, though it seemed like he had been speaking for hours, it had really only been an hour and a half. Yuffie glanced up to briefly meet his eyes and indicated that he continue with his story.

'That was the most dangerous time for me and my other agents who worked inside the enemy's ranks. Five of our insiders were actually killed by our own men in their efforts to keep up their pretenses. Our leader recognized that even closing the door to Kingdom Hearts would not prevent the shadows from returning in the future, and they somehow knew that the remaining shadow lords would be trying to retain all contacts of our worlds and they would be attempting to rebuild their army as soon as possible.

Yuffie, I am the most highly placed of all our spies and it has taken me over six months to discern the ultimate plan of the hidden shadows. I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to tell it to you straight. Kairi and Sora are the key to the victory of the shadows. Everything that is being planned on the other side of the Shade centers around your group of warriors taking Kairi and Cloud to hunt down Sora and Aeris.'

Sephiroth's face suddenly looked older as he slumped on the couch. 'I think you should go and get everyone Yuffie.' He said softly. 'They need to hear this too. No matter how much it may hurt. It needs to be said, and plans need to be made.'

Yuffie's face took on a stubborn cast and she seemed about to argue Sephiroth's quiet order, when she caught his eye. Ages of pain and sorrow stared at her from the green depths, and the great sadness in them quelled all of her argumentative feelings. Getting up silently she walked off towards Cloud and Riku's rooms without a backwards glance.

The sun climbed through her ordained path as Yuffie roused her friends from uneasy slumber. The fog once again began to close in around Traverse Town and inside Yuffie's little house, an angel shared news from the depths of hell.

xxx

A/N: **Shadow** – Slightly larger and a lot more intelligent than the heartless of the Kingdom Hearts game. (I just found out that a shadow is a type of heartless, but I don't care.)

**Related Worlds** – My invented name for the system of worlds in Kingdom Hearts. I just needed to find a quick easy name to refer to the worlds.

Yuffie might seem a bit out of character, but I've never got very far in the game (apologizes for all character discrepancies). And also, the characters are a little older, and hopefully more mature than they used to be.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six. Revelations.**

Cold green eyes observed. They wandered over the paths between worlds and scanned the main cities on every planet. Anger began to fill the icy eyes, for they didn't seem to have found what they were looking for. As his eyes snapped open, the owner of the green orbs cursed under his breath. Where was he?

xxx

Marble stones glittered in the light of a dozen torches. The touch of ice in the air leant a slightly green shine to the torchlight, filling the stone corridors with an ethereal glow. The ghostly atmosphere was unceremoniously broken when an infuriated figure stormed out of his room into the hallway, swearing loudly.

'Bastards! Where the hell has that bloody spy gone? He can't escape our net, he's too important! For the sake of all the fucken gods that you hold dear, FIND HIM!'

The statement started out in a furious mutter, but escalated into a shout. At first glance the man seemed to be talking to himself, but seconds later, a shadow detached itself from the wall and like a ghost crept along beside him. 'Lord, that is foolishness. We cannot trace the spy without giving ourselves away. If the light caught us in pursuit…'

Rounding on his servant, the tall man fixed the cowering creature in his iron gaze. Smoothing his short blond hair out his eyes he seemed to visibly pull himself together. 'If you ever talk to me like that again, I will cut your heart out.' Said Seifer quietly. 'I know the stakes, and I know the risks. Do not ever presume to tell me what is foolish.'

While his shadow slave cowered before him Seifer's mood seemed to change in an instant and he was smiling down with a lopsided grin. 'Stand up. I know what we will do instead. We will go to the city of Agrabah. I am under the spell of concealing for another day at least, for my tracking of Sephiroth and I can use this. Neither the beings of light nor those of darkness can trace me whilst the enchantment is in effect.' Raising one eyebrow, he added almost to himself, 'It is very useful being a trusted minion of darkness and light. The world of twilight has its own rewards.'

xxx

The sandy streets of the huge city of Agrabah glistened in the burning sun. But even though not a cloud marred the beauty of the sky, the citizens of Agrabah hurried through the tangled passages of the town with almost no chatter and no time wasted. It was like they were afraid, terribly afraid.

Standing in the shade of a canopy, a young sentry surveyed the Plaza. He was one of the many guards stationed throughout the related worlds whose job was keeping the innocent citizens safe from the ever-growing numbers of heartless. Unfortunately he had been pushed into this position with no experience and he was too young to really be aware of the dangers involving the heartless creatures. Not fully knowing what he was doing, the sentinel was utterly defenseless when Seifer dropped out of the shade and easily broke his neck. Looking into the guard's young face, Seifer felt a momentary pang of regret at the waste of such a young life, but the shadows in his head whispered to his heart, 'Leon would be grateful, you saved that boy from more pain. Life is pain, Seifer. Remember, all you do is for Leon, he will see it in the end.'

Shaking his head to dispel the lingering sadness, the cold warrior stepped over the corpse an silently beckoned to his slave. The small dark shadow slunk into step behind Seifer, staring at his back and wondering why on earth they were traveling the Related Worlds in broad daylight.

Stopping suddenly, Seifer darted into a doorway, taking his 'shadow' by surprise. The little creature barely had time to catch a glimpse of his master before the fighter was dodging again through a low passage. Running flat out to follow his master's winding trail, the servant managed to catch up with him just as Seifer stopped in the shade of a dank tunnel. The shadow hadn't realized that they had traveled so far in their route and looking around, suddenly understanding where Seifer was leading him. They were in the antechamber, just outside of the Sultan's treasure room.

xxx

For once, since he began his service in the light, Sephiroth was unaware of the movements of the Darkland. For all of his long years undercover, the angel had kept tabs on all the high level dark subjects through a variety of trigger spells and scrying techniques; unnoticed in his quarters in the coliseum, a spell tracking one of the most dangerous unidentified Shadow followers started blinking with a blood red light.

Ignorant of the developments in his old order, Sephiroth sat, head bowed, in the now darkening living room with Yuffie and Leon. Cloud and Riku were still sleeping in the deathlike sleep of exhaustion, and Yuffie had decided to leave them to rest with Kairi while Leon was filled in on Sephiroth's information. Leon was left stunned by the news, and he couldn't believe that the fate of all the worlds rested on the lives of some of his best friends. All he could think was that this could not be happening.

Pulling everyone back from their individual reflections, Sephiroth cleared his throat to speak again. 'I know what I have told you is hard to hear.' The angel said with a furrow creasing his brow. 'But unfortunately its not everything. The plans of the Malevolence are deeper than even I know, but I did discover another small part of their ultimate scheme.

On every world lies a treasure of the Elder Age. They are known simply as the Pieces. Every world guards their treasure jealously, but the origins and meaning behind the Pieces are lost to time. As a highly placed dark servant, I knew the names of every ancient treasure, on every world, and after a time I came to realize that my superiors were hunting down the Pieces, one by one.'

By this point Yuffie was staring at Sephiroth like he had grown another head. She had never even heard of the Elder Age and she was sure that tales of treasure like that would have reached the ears of a materia/treasure such as herself. Leon however was staring at Sephiroth and nodding slowly. 'I know Sephiroth.' He murmured as Yuffie shot him an incredulous look. 'I know of the Pieces. They…'

Sephiroth cut him off before he could say any more. 'They are magical and well guarded. The dark Scryers are scanning the worlds for any mention of these mystical items.' He cautioned. 'I only brought them up because you had to know. We must go Elsewhere to talk further of them. Its just too dangerous for all of us here.'

Leon ignored Yuffie who was glaring at him in outrage and addressed Sephiroth, 'Elsewhere? What do you mean? I've heard that name before, I know I've heard it…'

He broke off looking confused. 'I don't know where I know that place from. I feel it in my heart that it was somewhere important, so why can't I remember?'

Sighing, Sephiroth motioned for Leon to sit down again. The dark haired soldier was pacing the room in frustration, and Sephiroth did not want to take any chance of waking up the other two yet. This needed to be kept under control. 'Leon, I need to explain something to you now that only the elite warriors in the light know about. You and Yuffie and all your friends are in this too deep to not know the whole story, I just had to make sure that you weren't under the darkspell before I told you this. Not even the highest placed dark lord knows of this secret.'

Taking a deep breath, the once fallen angel met Leon's and then Yuffie's eyes in turn. 'There are planets outside the Related Worlds.'

xxx

Colored lights obscured Leon's vision and he had a vague sensation of falling backwards, out of the world before his sight went completely. A rushing sounded in his ears, a strong wind or even the sound of time passing…

'Squall?'

Rinoa, what? It's her! No, wait…Oh Gods it is…

'Yes Rinoa?' His mouth carried on, oblivious to what was happening in his head.

'What if there's more out there than just here? I mean, do you ever wonder if we're alone in the sky?'

The scene suddenly came into focus, and in the privacy of his mind, Leon gasped out loud. Before this moment, he had had no memory of sitting on soft grass under the stars with Rinoa. Instantaneously the full memory burst into his head.

It was after they had married. The hill they were sitting on was not in Traverse Town; nor was it on any of the Related Worlds. Before coming to Traverse Town he had lived another life!

Confusion struck him like a physical blow and sent him reeling out of himself again and into an abyss of undirected anger and uncertainty.

SLAP!

Leon's slate gray eyes fluttered open and quickly focused on Sephiroth's worried face hovering over him. He sat up rapidly and, wincing slightly at the ache that invaded his skull, grabbed the tall angel's collar, pulling him close. 'How is that fucken possible?' he gritted through clenched teeth. 'You knew of this all along, and yet you said nothing until now. How is it possible that my memories of, of my past all seem to have occurred here? Tell me!'

This time it was Yuffie's turn to nod at Sephiroth in understanding. 'It's ok Sephiroth, I can explain this one.

Leon, when your world was swallowed in darkness and you came here, you met with the leader of the resistance to the shadows. In the beginning of the invasion of Malevolence, there was a small insular group simply called The Conclave, who made sure that the refugees from the vanished planets were not in the thrall of darkness. In order to preserve secrecy and maintain the security of the Related Worlds, your memories were meddled with on your arrival, as were everyone's.

I have no idea why I remember all of this, my only guess is that my Wutai training messed with their magi enchantments. Hardly anyone could make a spell stick with me at home. I mean my real home. I can remember The Conclave Sephiroth, you should tell them that. If they made a mistake with me, it may have happened with others.'

Lowering her eyes away from Leon's steady gaze Yuffie whispered, 'I couldn't tell you Leon. You wouldn't have believed me. No, don't shake your head, you know that's true. Even I hardly believed what I remembered for the longest time.

I hope you can forgive me. Please just say something? Anything Leon, say something, for gods sake!'

'I don't know what you want me to say Yuffie. I don't know what to think anymore. Even my own mind has betrayed me. Please can you two just give me some fucken space? I need a little time.'

Yuffie leapt to her feet and hurried from the room to hide her tears. Sephiroth however made his way slowly to the door and stood just inside, out of Leon's sight. He did not want the taciturn fighter to do anything stupid, and he didn't think he could take the risk of leaving him alone. After a few seconds he saw that he didn't have to worry. Leon was sitting in the middle of the floor, almost utterly thrown reality by the stunning revelations. Leaning against the wall, Sephiroth gazed out of the glass door and watched as the sun sank behind the smoky gray roofs of Traverse Town in an ocean of golden mist.

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven.**

Riku opened his eyes and waited while they gradually focused. A few seconds later the post high headache hit and his green eyes grew clouded. The headache of coming down from a cocaine high was comparable to a sledgehammer being swung from close range, and Riku knew that the worst of it was still to come. He blinked back tears of pain and placed a corner of blanket between his teeth. He didn't want to bother the others with the moans of pain he knew were in store. Using a trick he had learnt in his time in the Darklands, he cast his mind to other times, anytime but this one.

_Sora here…  
__A paopu fruit?  
If two people share one, their destinies are intertwined. Come on, I know you want to try it…  
What?  
Never mind…  
He had run off laughing then. If only he had stayed and faced Sora with the truth of what he had really meant. Things might have been so different.  
On the island, things seemed so full of life. Everything was bright, the future, the present, and nothing mattered much. I must have been that way for a while, but Riku could hardly remember it; for him, everything changed as dark thoughts slowly crept into his mind. Unlike the others, Riku, even then, could sense that the Destiny Islands were not alone in the night skies._

These thoughts in his head, and the shadowy intuitions set him apart from his friends, apart from Sora. It hurt him when…

Oh god don't think of hurt…

Dragged back to his tortured body by the invisible bonds of agony, Riku gave into the pain a let his restrained tears flow. They soaked his cheeks and poured onto the thick blanket, drenching it. Riku didn't even notice his sodden bed. His pain immersed him too deeply.

xxx

In his room Cloud lay against the wall. Kairi lay next to him, her small back pressed against his. They had agreed earlier in the afternoon that she would sleep in his room so as not to wake Riku. The silver haired boy was in a deep coma-like sleep when Kairi and Cloud retired to bed. The evening was cold, and Kairi snuggled in closer to Cloud in her sleep, rolling over and throwing an arm over his hip. He stiffened and squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to fall asleep, despite her sleeping restlessness.

Somewhere between trying to ignore the young girl behind him and attempting to stop shivering, Cloud fell into an uneasy doze. In his state of half-sleep his eyelids flickered and a dream exploded into his head.

_Drip…drip…drip…Ratatatatat…  
The sound of rain on his tin roof distracted Cloud. Wait, the sun was shining.  
What?  
Arms encircled his waist, turning him slowly around…_

He rolled over…

_'Aeris?' Troubled blue eyes met smiling aqua ones and she nodded silently. He raised a trembling hand and tentatively stroked her smooth cheek. 'It is you. Oh god I've missed you.'  
Still smiling, Aeris pushed her face into his hand, as he moved his fingers down her neck, she let out a small moan. Sliding his fingers still further, Cloud pushed her rose colored dress down over her shoulders, moving her gently back towards the bed that stood just behind her.  
Cloud could not fully comprehend what was happening, but suddenly he was lying on the bed, over Aeris who was suddenly wearing Kairi's clothes._

Cloud's arms rested on either side of Kairi, and in his sleep he lifted himself onto on elbow, seemingly looking at the sleeping girl.

_'Oh Cloud,' whispered Aeris and he leant down and kissed her on the lips. He ran his hand over her face again and slipped it lower to slide the thin straps of the white singlet she was now wearing off her creamy pale shoulders. She arched her back and he scraped his rough palms over her breasts, pulling down the thin material.  
When her small breasts were uncovered, Cloud caressed them softly, squeezing the nipples until they hardened. Easing himself up above her, he pushed her thighs apart and lowered himself on top of her, meeting her slightly parted lips in a passionate kiss._

Kairi was in a dead sleep. In her mind were formless imaginings of her and Riku, entwined like the lovers she wished they could be. Slowly she started surfacing from her sleep, enough to realize that it was not just a dream.

Thinking she was lying beneath the body of her silver haired child of shadow, Kairi responded, pushing her body into the one on top of her. She pushed her hips up and felt the arousal of the form above her. She met his lips in a heated kiss and raised her hand up to run it through the hair of the man.

The hair was not silky straight as she had expected. Her eyes flew open and she suddenly realized that it was not Riku lying on top of her, touching her. It was Cloud.

With her lips locked to Cloud's, all Kairi could manage was a muffled squeal to voice her shock and fear. She started struggling under him and was barely able to free her hands. She struck his back and tried to scratch at his face. Oh god, his eyes were only half open and glazed. What the hell was going on?

_Inside Cloud's mind, Aeris suddenly began to thrash and struggle. He looked at her in confusion and narrowly fended off her hand as she tried to strike his face.  
'Aeris, what..' he started to say, and grabbed her wrists, pinning them down to stop her from hitting him again. She screamed into his mouth, forcing him to break their kiss.  
'What are you doing?' he tried to say, but she wriggled her hands free and slapped him across the face, jerking him from the remnants of his tangled dream._

Cloud threw himself backwards and fetched up against the wall breathing heavily. He stared at Kairi, lying on the bed, tears staining her cheeks. His mind was still fogged by sleep and he had no idea of what had just happened. He reached out his hand to touch Kairi's shoulder and was shocked when she flinched violently.

'Kairi what, what happened? Are you alright? Oh gods, what, did something happen to Riku?'

Kairi barely shook her head. 'Cloud,' she whispered brokenly. 'Why? How could you do that to me? Please tell me why.'

Cloud stared at her with wide eyes. 'What are you talking about Kairi? What happened? Tell me what happened.'

With a rush, the events of his dream came back to him and he fell back against the wall as realization hit him hard. 'Kairi, did I, was I, on you? Did I, oh gods…' he stopped, unable to finish.

'Yes Cloud.' Kairi said harshly, with a vicious tone to her voice. 'I woke up with you between my legs, touching me. Can you not remember trying to rape me? Was it that small a deal to you?'

Cloud's breath caught in his throat as the words struck him like a physical blow. Staggering to his feet he lurched to the door, rushing out and leaving Kairi sobbing on the bed. This was not him, he would never do this. Heedlessly brushing past Sephiroth, Cloud yanked open the front door and ran out into the cold night, blundering into the twisted back alleys of Traverse Town.

The fog opened before him, and closed behind, with no trace. With every step Cloud took, the light of the moon grew dimmer and fog closed in more thickly. By the time Sephiroth recovered his balance and poise enough to run after the blond fighter, there was no sign of him in the billowing fog.

xxx


End file.
